Hermione frowned, the smile on Senior Cho Chang's face faded significantly, and Alice spoke up directly, saying, "No way, Adelaide already has enough best friends, there's no need to add any more!"
You've got to be kidding!
The existence of three competitors already put them under immense pressure; for Luna to try and up the ante was simply unacceptable to Alice.
Luna pursed her lips slightly, revealing a faint, playful smile, and whispered, "Well, if you don't agree to me and Miss Grindelwald becoming best friends, that's fine—Miss Adelaide, let's just continue our previous relationship as knight and princess."
Hearing this, Hermione asked in confusion, "What knight and princess? Isn't today the first time you've met Adelaide?"
Luna's clear eyes sparkled as she replied in an ethereal, dreamy tone, "In stories written by Muggles, there are often plots like this."
"A brave and fearless knight goes through countless hardships to successfully save a kingdom in crisis, and finally, he and the beautiful and kind princess walk into a happy life together... and to me, my mother is as important as an entire kingdom."
"Miss Grindelwald came to the rescue and got my mother out of danger, so naturally, she is my knight."
Luna looked up, her gaze fixed directly on Adelaide's face, which was somewhat blank from surprise, and continued happily, "Miss Adelaide, by next year, I will receive my admission letter from Hogwarts, and then we'll be able to live happily ever after together~"
Hermione, having processed this, widened her eyes in fury and shouted at Adelaide, "No! I don't agree, this is simply absurd!"
Beside her, Alice was also shaking with rage, her fists clenched tightly, her voice sharp and angry: "No! Absolutely not!"
Cho Chang pursed her lips gently; although she didn't speak, the smile that had been on her face vanished without a trace, and a powerful aura surged from her, making Adelaide afraid to speak.
Luna shrunk into Adelaide's embrace and 'whispered' in a voice everyone present could hear, "Miss Grindelwald, your good friends don't have very good tempers~ You must have a very hard time usually, right?"
Adelaide's back was already soaked with cold sweat; if the glares from her three friends could kill, she might have died hundreds of times over.
The fire in her own backyard was already burning bright enough; how could this girl Luna return kindness with such mischief!
Adelaide took a deep breath, trying to calm her surging emotions; she knew that staying cool was crucial right now, as one wrong step in the heat of the moment would lead to total ruin.
Fortunately, she was still young, which allowed her to skillfully play a special trump card—the friendship card.
Adelaide quickly adjusted her micro-expressions, widening her eyes while clearing all thoughts from her mind, doing her absolute best to act like a young, ignorant, innocent girl who hadn't yet 'awakened' to romance.
She said weakly in a slightly trembling voice, "I... I don't think you need to be so angry... Lovegood just wants to be friends with me, and isn't it better to have more friends?"
"Lovegood, you don't know them well enough yet. Hermione is a hardworking and serious girl who is always meticulous about her studies, very smart and capable; Alice is practically an all-rounder with super strong abilities in every aspect, no weaknesses at all; Cho Chang is not only gentle and kind but also especially good at caring for and looking after others. They are all my close sisters, and with them by my side, I am incredibly happy and blissful every day~"
Adelaide's continuous stream of praise was like a spring breeze blowing over the fires of anger in Hermione's and Alice's hearts, successfully extinguishing them.
Even Cho Chang, whose face had been grim, now had a sweet smile blooming on it once again.
Although the trio's anger had been smoothed over, the irrepressible jealousy in their hearts didn't just vanish; instead, it quietly transformed into a deep sense of helplessness.
After all, Adelaide had only just turned twelve; it was normal that she hadn't 'awakened' yet.
If they were to rashly confess their feelings now, they would likely scare this simple and cute little girl; if it backfired and let someone else swoop in, it would be a total loss.
The three of them exchanged looks and quickly reached an agreement: for now, they would be friends and get along peacefully, and once Adelaide was a bit older, it would be every girl for herself!
Adelaide put in a lot of effort to soothe her friends' excited and somewhat chaotic thoughts, gradually calming everyone's restless hearts.
Meanwhile, the fan meeting on Harry's side was nearing its end, and at this joyful moment, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley warmly called everyone for lunch.
Mrs. Weasley, face beaming, said in her gentle yet booming voice, "Everyone come over, the feast is about to begin!"
Mr. Weasley helped move chairs and tables nearby, steadily joining three long tables into one massive banquet table.
Everyone squeezed in side-by-side at the banquet table, their faces glowing with happy smiles; even Adelaide wore a smile of relief from having survived the ordeal.
The cheerful atmosphere reached a small climax as everyone sang the Merlin Birthday Song in unison, after which it was the turn of the feast's protagonist, Ginny, to stand up and speak.
Ginny's usual lively and nimble manner had completely disappeared; her face turned bright red, almost the same color as her vibrant hair; she looked like a crimson little tomato, flustered and at a loss.
She stood there, her feet unconsciously shifting back and forth, her hands nervously clutching the hem of her clothes; she had never imagined The Chosen One of the Wizarding World would attend her birthday party—what if she performed poorly and made him dislike her?
Ron, sitting next to Harry, was somewhat puzzled; you had to know that Ginny was usually a bold and daring girl, even more of a fighter than Ron—could she be sick?
Ginny wanted to clearly express the gratitude in her heart, but the words became stumbling as they reached her lips.
She stammered out words of thanks that even she didn't understand, her voice so small it was barely audible to herself; her mind was a mess, one moment thinking of Harry's face, the next worrying about making a fool of herself.
The Weasley Twins noticed their sister's predicament and began to howl loudly, whistling as they did so, using this unique method to cheer Ginny on.
Arthur Weasley stood up and gave the two brothers a few slaps to the head; amidst the chaos, Adelaide stepped on Fred's feet several times and secretly added six packets of syrup to George's Butterbeer—Adelaide always settled her grudges on the spot, never letting them fester overnight.
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